


All You Knit is Love

by icandrawamoth



Series: Fic Advent 2017 [4]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy, Star Wars: Phasma - Delilah S. Dawson
Genre: Advent Calendar, Advent Challenge 2017, Developing Relationship, F/M, Knitting, Making Up, Mild Drama, Misunderstandings, Presents, Superstition, post-Phasma
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-05
Updated: 2017-12-05
Packaged: 2019-02-10 19:17:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,045
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12918501
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/icandrawamoth/pseuds/icandrawamoth
Summary: Vi refuses to knit Cardinal a sweater, leading him to question where they stand with each other.





	All You Knit is Love

**Author's Note:**

> "The Sweater Curse" is a prompt from Sniperpilot Winter which I shamelessly nicked and used for my own devices. Also, here lemme shoehorn this into my Advent Challenge bingo square "scrooge."

As is so often the case, Vi is bundled up in yarn when Cardinal stops by her quarters to visit, the stuff spread all across her bed as she works meticulously with her knitting needles at the bundle in her lap. He can't help but smile at the look of deep concentration on her face, the way she barely looks up when he enters.

“What are you working on?” he asks as he very carefully clears a spot and sits down next to her.

Vi gives a sharp look at him touching her things but seems to deem what he's moved harmless enough as she sits up and stretches. Who knows how long it's been since she took even a short break.

“Life Day present for Baako,” she says, setting down her needles and holding up the project. It appears to a half-completed sweater, in mostly-straight stripes of white and Resistance blue. Innocuous enough that her dignitary brother will be able to wear it in public without raising questions but still know its meaning.

“Looks warm,” Cardinal comments. “I'm sure he'll love it.” He reaches over to touch the soft material, chuckles when she bats his hand away, making a threatening motion as she picks up her needles again. “Say, when are you going to make me one of these?”

Vi chews her lip for a long moment before going back to her work. “Probably never,” she answers shortly.

Cardinal frowns, not having expected that answer, and surprised at the way it feels like a blow. He hadn't meant to assume, and he's still assimilating from his First Order upbringing into the ways normal people of the galaxy do things, but isn't it normal to give the people you care for gifts? Especially of the homemade variety? His stomach clenches with realization. Or perhaps that is what Vi does, just not for him. Perhaps he misjudged what he thought they were.

“I'll leave you to it,” he says curtly and stands.

“Hey, didn't you want something?”

“No.”

* * *

Cardinal hates how much the simple conversation effects him, keeps dragging at his attention. Luckily, though, he gets an assignment the next morning that keeps him busy for a few days as he provides intel to a group of Resistance fighters going on an undercover mission and answers their questions.

On the third day, his luck runs out. He's just retrieved a tray of what passes for food in the commissary and turned around to find a place to sit when Vi catches his eye from one of the near-empty tables and jerks her head to indicate a seat across from her. Cardinal groans internally, but he goes.

“You trying to tell me something, Emergency Brake?” she asks, jabbing her fork at him accusingly.

“Why would you think that?” Cardinal concentrates his gaze on his tasteless meal. He can see Vi frowning out of the corner of his eye.

“Um, maybe because you've been avoiding me for days and you usually come wandering back like a lost puppy at every possible opportunity?”

Cardinal does not flinch. Is he really that pathetic when it comes to her? He supposes he is. Kriff, he's a fully grown adult, even if he may not have been socialized properly. He should be able to deal with this. He makes himself meet her eyes, distracted for only half a second by the warm brown gaze, now clouded with confusion.

“Why won't you make me a sweater?”

Vi barks a laugh, and Cardinal can only stare. She thinks this is _funny_?

“Is that really what's got you so out of whack?” She reaches across the table to lay a hand on his, tightening her grip when he makes a move to pull away. “Really?”

“Really,” he grits out. “But I get that I'm not as important to you as your brother, so-”

“Babe, it's a _superstition_ ,” Vi says, her gaze softening. “As a knitter, you can't just make a sweater for someone you...someone you care about.”

Cardinal squints, ignoring the way his heart pounds at her phrasing. He doesn't understand. “What kind of superstition?”

Vi smiles warmly at him, and he curses how it instantly makes him feel better. “It's called the 'sweater curse.' It's this idea that if you knit a sweater for someone you're in a relationship with, it'll be cursed and that person will break up with you.”

“That doesn't make any sense. Why would you break up with some who gave you such a thoughtful gift?”

“There is kind of a basis to it, if you think about it. Some people get anxious because their SO spends more time knitting than with them, or it could be that the knitter gets upset because their lover doesn't appreciate it enough. Those kinds of things. But, like I said, mostly a superstition.”

“I wouldn't break up with you.” As soon as the words are out of his mouth, Cardinal feels a blush spring to his face that matches his name. _Sappy. Stupid._ Are they even enough of a thing that they _could_ break up? But Vi had said she was concerned about it...

“Oh, you are adorable. Come here.” She leans over the table and pushes a hand into his hair, pulling him in for a kiss. “How about we start with something small, hmm? I can have you a cup cozy ready by the end of tomorrow. You can think of me when you're not burning your delicate hands on your constant stream of caf.”

“Hey!” he protests.

She grins. “And besides, it's not like you need a sweater here on D'Qar.”

“We won't be here forever. And I'll be going on missions elsewhere eventually.”

That seems to make her pause. “You'd wear something I made you on a mission?”

“Sure. Why wouldn't I want to think of you when I'm away?”

She kisses him again, longer this time. “You know,” she says when she pulls back, “for a born-and-raised soldier, you really are much sweeter than you let on.”

Cardinal can feel his cheeks heating once more as he mutters something that's not really a defense. But with Vi's deep, melodious laugh curling around him and her reassurance warm in his gut, he can't feel too bad about it.


End file.
